


Choose Your Fate

by moxuanyus



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, RPG AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-02-24
Packaged: 2019-11-04 19:02:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17903753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moxuanyus/pseuds/moxuanyus
Summary: For the Enstars Valentine exchange! <3 My prompt was Eimugi RPG AU c:





	Choose Your Fate

It’s hard to be angry that it’s all come to this. It’s not like Tsumugi to be angry, anyway. Disappointed, perhaps, but not angry. Still, it’s difficult to be angry about the turn of events when not a single thing, not even the depth of Tsumugi’s own feelings, was anticipated.

How did it start...? In a blur, in Tsumugi’s usual willingness to help. Eichi could wield magic, but nothing to heal, and that seemed like a gaping weak spot. It would be a weak spot for anyone setting out on some venture, with some goal in mind, but Eichi had a weak constitution in addition. Of course Tsumugi offered to help him on his journey, on his grand ambitions and goals. He had learned healing magic in order to be able to help. This was his chance.

And truth be told, he was a little taken with the being called Eichi Tenshouin.

He had grand goals, ambitions, plans -- the sort of things Tsumugi could only dream about having. The ones he does have involve being depended on, like this. It doesn’t feel very impressive in comparison, but he had thought that if he could help Eichi’s cause, Tsumugi could feel a little proud of himself.

Now the battle is done -- somehow, their party of four taking down the Five Oddballs, despite the difference in number and, seemingly, power -- and there is little but a bad taste in his mouth. Yet he can’t shake his feelings. He can’t stop caring for Eichi.

The battle must have pushed Eichi to his limits without Tsumugi noticing, though, for it’s a moment or two before he notices Eichi is not keeping pace with him. And when he turns back, he finds that he’s failed to pay attention where the enemy has not. His blood runs cold for a moment, shock and fear, disappointment in himself.

Then the fear subsides; the enemy fae hasn’t taken advantage of Eichi’s weak state, but rather caught him as he collapsed. The shock surges anew at what Tsumugi is seeing, but the disappointment remains and grows. He should have been the one to catch Eichi, to hold him steady as blood stains his mouth.

Not as a healer, but as someone who cares for Eichi.

After all, magic and medicine alike are no use against what ails him, and holding him is the best Tsumugi can offer.

And even that, he’s failed to do. He keeps disappointing himself, not moving over to Eichi’s side, to be the one to take him back to their camp for the night. Instead, it’s the enemy that brings Eichi to Tsumugi. It’s a disgrace. What would he have done if that man had chosen to do anything else with Eichi?

“You forgot something,” the fae offers, helping Eichi onto Tsumugi’s shoulder.

And he’s right, certainly. What was Tsumugi thinking, walking away without being sure, after a battle? Never mind the other two; it’s expected of them, perhaps. They happen to share in Eichi’s cause, perhaps they’re looking for glory. But Tsumugi has failed in his responsibilities, his self-assigned duties to Eichi. He can’t very well be relied on like this.

“Ah, so I have,” he agrees, supporting Eichi with every bit of strength in his body. Even hearing his own response, he wonders how he can sound so nonchalant about it when he’s so disappointed in himself.

He returns to the camp in a daze, more focused on Eichi’s weight on his shoulder and the guilty weight on his chest than where he is, where he’s going. Nonetheless, in a blur, he returns. Their rogue and warrior have already turned in for the night, leaving Tsumugi alone -- with Eichi, if he weren’t also unconscious.

Gently, Tsumugi lays him down, keeping his eyes on him for a moment. He’s not a pretty sight, now, looking battered and exhausted from battle, and weak and frail on top of it. That’s never stopped Tsumugi from thinking he was brilliant, though.

Even so, it would be a disgrace to leave him bloodied and dirty. Tsumugi tears himself momentarily from Eichi’s side to find a scrap piece of cloth, wet it with some water, and return to tenderly wipe him clean. He has no intention of waking him, if possible. Rest is important in restoring strength, and Tsumugi knows well how Eichi needs it, and yet detests it.

Luck is not on his side tonight.

Eichi’s eyes flutter open about halfway through. How unlucky to have made it nearly most of the way and failed. Still, Tsumugi offers Eichi a soft smile. “You won.”

Eichi smiles in return, but more than soft, his smile is weak. His hand reaches up, and for a moment, Tsumugi is unsure whether Eichi is fully conscious, capable of seeing him. His hand falls cleanly but weakly on Tsumugi’s cheek.

“With your support.” His voice is soft, whether because he cannot speak up further or to conserve his energy, Tsumugi can’t tell and does not intend to ask. “Without you, I would have died an even more premature death and never returned here, wouldn’t I?” His smile is both wry and grateful.

“Um, that’s not really--”

Eichi shakes his head, every movement still looking incredibly tenuous and fragile. Tsumugi shuts up despite the protests on his tongue. He won’t be the cause of Eichi straining himself any further, shortening his life any more.

After a moment, Tsumugi realizes he’s stilled, and returns to carefully wiping the blood from Eichi’s face.

It’s a stupid thing to say, a stupid thing to bring up, but it leaves his mouth nonetheless. Eichi has already mentioned his accelerated mortality, anyway.

“I can’t help enough to cure you.”

“Nothing can cure me.”

The response is so fast, so blunt, it’s like a blow to Tsumugi’s gut. He wants to prove Eichi wrong, to search through any magic texts he can lay his hands on, develop methods of his own, anything, anything at all.

But it’s not something Tsumugi can dedicate all his time to when he’s promised his help to Eichi. The battle has been won, but it is not the end of things. In fact, it is only the beginning, and they have yet to see how well overthrowing this evil will take. Will there be rebellion, attempts on Eichi’s life? It would be foolish to leave Eichi’s side and risk anything more. It can only be a side project at best.

Eichi’s expression softens into a smile again, one directed at Tsumugi.

“If you stay by my side, it’s enough. I really would never have won without you.”

“I’m not leaving,” Tsumugi promises, wiping the last of the filth from Eichi’s face.

He tries, anyway; tries casting any healing spells he can think of to at least restore Eichi’s usual strength, as he watches him doze off.

His thoughts wander, watching Eichi’s resting face. Tsumugi thinks of how radiant he looks, somehow, despite it all, despite the things he knows Eichi must worry about in his appearance. He thinks about how to save him -- plans alongside daydreams that sometimes merge together. Could he take on the illness himself, to let Eichi live out a full life? Resort to necromancy in a worst case scenario? Wish for a miracle to avoid everything difficult?

Tsumugi wears himself out, thinking in circles, wishing, hoping. His eyes grow heavy, and he makes his place next to Eichi to rest, as he makes his place next to him on his mission, in his life. And for tonight, he breathes deep, shuts his eyes, and is grateful that, together, they will live to face tomorrow.

**Author's Note:**

> i wasn't entirely sure what to do with an rpg au so hopefully this qualifies and you enjoy!! i did have a good time trying to imagine what classes to use, and went a little wild looking through types of magic users one night too. that nearly ended up in some big angst since that was welcome for the prompt!
> 
> but in the end those ideas only got touched on towards the end of the fic, and you can choose your own conclusion to this ;o angsty or romantic or whatever you like! i figured that fit well with the rpg element where you can sometimes choose different routes.
> 
> also! the fae, if you could not tell or are not familiar with the eichi short story, was wataru, who did in fact catch him after the live to defeat the five oddballs! so that is a little reference i sneaked in


End file.
